


Twisted Christmas (2009)

by JennyB



Series: Advent 2009 [6]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Advent Challenge 2009, Gen, Sibling Bonding, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-06
Updated: 2009-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-05 13:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1094270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lirin attempts to educate her brother on how to prepare for a visit from St. Nicholas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twisted Christmas (2009)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samsarapine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsarapine/gifts).



> Written for Advent Challenge 2009. Prompt: Lirin learns a Christmas tradition and teaches Kougaiji.

Kougaiji was at a loss for words. His violet eyes were wide as he stood in the doorway of Lirin's bedroom and watched his half-sister attempt to muscle a twenty-foot white pine tree into the corner of a room with fifteen-foot ceilings. He winced when he saw that the floor had been gouged in a few places, and he could see the sticky sap smeared on the carpet, the furniture, and along the door jambs. However, when he saw that the plaster was starting to crack from the force of the tree being jammed against it, he stepped into the room. "Lirin, what the hell are you doing?" he asked. The girl had some weird ideas sometimes, but this one took the cake.

"Oh, hi big brother!" she greeted, her acid green eyes sparkling in excitement as she gave the tree one last shove and then stepped back to admire her work. "This is my Cross-mass tree. I'm trying to lure a Sandy Claws here so that I can get presents!" Humming softly, she seemed to almost dance over to her dresser, and she pulled out a handful of brightly coloured silk scarves, which she then proceeded to drape over the branches.

The prince's mouth worked silently for several moments as he tried to process the information he'd just been given. In the end, he settled for a bewildered, "What?"

Lirin huffed impatiently, and turning to face her brother, she said, "December twenty-fifth is Cross-mass. On that night, this guy called Sandy Claws comes and brings people presents. Pine trees are the bait."

Kougaiji arched a regal brow. "And just where did you hear a wild story like that?"

"From Hakkai," the ginger-haired demon replied matter-of-factly as she finished up with her scarves and then went to her jewellery box to find bangles, bows and bells.

The redhead laughed softly. "And you don't think he was just tricking you by telling you something like that?"

"Nope!" she said as she began tying the various baubles to the branches with lengths of ribbon. "I mean, I know Hakkai sometimes likes to play tricks on me, but he wouldn't lie to Goku. I heard him telling the monkey boy about it, and Hakkai even convinced old Baldy Sanzo to let them have a Cross-mass tree. I was listening on the roof while they were talking."

"Lirin, it's rude to eavesdrop."

"Yeah, but -" She sighed softly. "I know. But it sounds like a lot of fun, big brother, and I really, _really_ want to have Cross-mass."

The prince looked into the earnest, green eyes, and he snorted softly as he shook his head in disbelief. "Alright," he said as he went to help the girl affix her decorations to the higher branches. "Tell me about this Cross-mass."

Lirin beamed adoringly at her brother. "Well, from what Hakkai said, the first thing you need is this Cross-mass tree. It has to be something with needles on it, like this. I think it's because the decorations stick better to it than to a leafy tree. Anyway, you get your tree, and then you've gotta decorate it so that it doesn't look like a tree any more. I think that's so that Sandy Claws knows where to go, and so the animals don't think it's a place to live. You put ribbons and pretty, shiny things on it." She stood back to admire her handiwork. "Personally, I think it looks kind of cool like that."

Kougaiji found the whole concept of bringing a tree _inside_ and then covering it with ornamentation somewhat bizarre, but then, there were a lot of strange and unusual customs in the world. "Ok, so you said this tree is the bait?"

"Yes - well, no. Not exactly," Lirin replied, and she went and sat down on the side of her bed. "I mean, we want to lure Sandy Claws here, but we don't want to trap him."

"Why not?"

"Well, because that wouldn't be fair to everyone else to keep him. I mean, there are other people he brings presents to, you know? People all over the world."

Kougaiji frowned in disbelief. "All over the world? There's no way he could go all over the whole world."

"Why not?" Lirin asked honestly. "If he can use magic, he could."

"So he's youkai then?"

The girl shook her head. "No, I think he's a human. Or maybe an elf - Hakkai mentioned elves. But he can use magic. And he lives at the North Pole."

Kougaiji laughed a little at that. "At the North Pole? Come on, Lirin; you don't actually believe that, do you?"

"He does!" she exclaimed defensively. "Besides, how do you know he doesn't? Have you ever been there to see for yourself?"

"Well, no, but -"

"Then there you have it!" she said, and she grinned smugly. "If you don't know for sure that he does live there, then you can't say for sure that he _doesn't_. Now are you going to let me finish or not?"

Kougaiji rolled his eyes, but he smiled a little as he sat down next to his sibling. Even if he thought it was all bullshit, it had been a while since he'd seen Lirin this excited about anything, and he didn't see the harm in what she was doing. "Fine, fine. So Sandy Claws goes all over the world. How does he get there? I mean, there are oceans and stuff."

"He flies."

The redhead was silent for a moment, and then he smirked. "Of course he does. What, does he sprout wings or something?"

" _No_!" Lirin replied in exasperation. "He has a big sled. And he rides in that. And it's pulled by flying deer."

"Lirin, deer can't fly."

"Magic deer can!" She frowned at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "If you're going to make fun of me, I'm not going to tell you the rest of the story."

"Sorry. Proceed."

" _Anyway_ , he has his sled pulled by the flying _magic_ deer, and somehow, he can control time so that he can go to all the houses. Well, those that have put out the tree bait. When he gets there, he checks a big list he has to make sure you're not on his shit list, and if you've been good, he leaves you presents. If you've been bad, you get a piece of coal."

Kougaiji thought about that for a minute. "For some people, coal might be a good present. I mean, if you're looking to heat your house or something."

"Yeah, but _one piece_?" she asked. "That'd be like giving someone _one dumpling_ and saying that was your meal."

The prince nodded slowly. "Yeah, I suppose you've got a point. Ok, so one piece of coal for bad people, and presents for good people. But, how would he know if you've been good or not?"

Lirin grinned at that. "He just knows. Maybe he can read minds or something. Like Zakuro. Oh! And you have to leave him cookies and milk by the Cross-mass tree as an offering. I guess it's like a bribe so that he leaves you better stuff. And he only comes if you're asleep, because he doesn't want to be seen. He must be pretty ugly or something. I heard Hakkai say that he was all fat and hairy and red."

"Ew." Kougaiji shuddered a little at the mental image. "Ok, so, this Sandy Claws flies all over the world, and he brings presents to good people because he just wants to. You don't have to pay him, but the only way he comes is if you have a Cross-mass tree. And if you give him cookies, he leaves you better presents."

"Uh huh. That sounds about right."

"And you don't have to chant an incantation or anything like that?"

"Nope."

"Huh." The prince chuckled a little. "Sounds like quite a story."

"You'll see," Lirin said as she hopped off her bed and went to her dresser once more. "Tomorrow morning, when I have candy and presents, and you've got nothing, you'll be sorry you teased me." She picked up a gaily striped tube sock and went over to her fireplace, and she hung the sock on the mantle with a pushpin. " _That's_ where Sandy Claws is going to put the candy."

"In a sock?" Kougaiji snorted in amusement. "This guy sounds like he's a couple sandwiches short of a picnic."

"Hey, I never said it wasn't weird, but I'm just following the rules of the game." Lirin grinned at her brother and hugged him around the waist. "I'll see you in the morning. Happy Cross-mass."

The prince chuckled softly and lightly ruffled the ginger hair. "Happy Cross-mass, Lirin. Sweet dreams." He waited until the girl had climbed into her bed, and then he tucked her in, brushing a gentle kiss across her forehead. He stepped out into the corridor and pulled her door closed behind him, and then made his way to his own room. Once inside, he also got ready for bed, laughing to himself about the absurdity of Hakkai's story. It was so ridiculous that there was no way it could possibly be true. He slipped beneath his blankets and closed his eyes, though after a few moments, they opened again, and he stared in thought at his ceiling. To anyone who didn't know the truth, the same could be said about Hakkai's little white dragon turning into a jeep.

There was a rustling of the sheets, and Kougaiji got to his feet, padding silently over to his dresser to retrieve a sock. A moment later, the garment was suspended from his mantle, and the prince was back in his bed. If nothing happened, in the morning, he'd feel rather silly for what he'd done.

But still, when it came to something like Cross-mass, he couldn't really afford to take chances.


End file.
